Mas de Laudun

Overview

This beautiful property backing onto the hillside is like a world apart, a cocoon just for you, with an outstanding view of the Vallée des Baux. As soon as your car takes the turn into the rural track you glimpse the houses beyond the olive trees, outrageously lovely.

Life in this 13-hectare property, in the heart of the Alpilles, is organized around four buildings: the Bastide, the adjoining Mas, the Tower and the Grange. The renovation, beautifully done, has left each building its personality and independence. People will gather from the Grange, the Mas and the Bastide to share many a special moment on the terrace, beside the pool. The signature of this property is a certain philosophy of rural chic, country life in all the purity bestowed by style and elegance. A skillful mix of authenticity and modernity.

The Bastide

The Bastide, was the home of the estate's proprietors. Its position, opening onto the terraces and swimming pool, offers plenty of possibilities for places to gather for drinks, a party, or dinner around a big table with family and friends. On the ground floor, there is the living room, dining room and kitchen. Sitting comfortably on the two sofas in the big living room, bathed in light from its large windows, you'll feel as if you were in the garden. The charm of the original beams contrast elegantly with the contemporary fireplace accentuated by a painting inspired by Picasso. The layout of the ground floor is very practical, the rooms leading to each other and all at the same level. People can move at ease between the indoors and the terraces outside, from living room to garden and from kitchen to dining area. The contemporary spirit of the interior design carries through to the kitchen, including its high-tech equipment. Its high table, an extension of the central island, makes it pleasant to linger here, while the adjoining scullery facilitates the logistic side. The laundry room and the guest cloakroom are by the stairs.

A stone staircase leads to the first floor with the three bedrooms, all are south-facing, with breathtaking views of the garden and olive fields. The view stretches as far as the Camargue. A little nearer looms the massive form of Montmajour Abbey, a gem on the Unesco World Heritage list, and the slender metal and glass outline of Frank Gerhy's Luma tower. The beds are wide, the bed linen silky smooth, and the bathrooms swathed in the emblematic scent of Eau d'Orange verte by Hermès. The master bedroom with its old parquet floor adds warmth to the minimalist atmosphere of this huge room opposite the staircase. It has its own bathroom and WC. The secondary bedroom next door, also with an authentic old parquet floor, looks down to a lavender bed, and the pretty powdery violet of its walls gives the room an infinitely soft feel. Its bathroom and WC are on the landing. The west bedroom with crimson walls enfolds the bed and echos the color of the setting sun, whose light pours in through the open doorway of the west-facing bathroom.

The Mas

The Mas was originally the estate's farmhouse. It is entirely independent, with its own large and lovely courtyard and a fountain in the shade of the famous nettle tree (some three centuries old and protected heritage). The palm tree is another gem. On the ground floor is the living room and kitchen. As usual with a Provençal farmhouse, the kitchen is where you enter the house. Absolute comfort in this kitchen fitted with the very latest equipment. The adjoining laundry room and pantry make life that much easier. From the kitchen you enter the living area. Its sofas, bookshelves and 1940's bar seem just right for TV and reading. A palm tree floor lamp adds a humorous Art Deco touch. Of the three French windows, two lead to the courtyard, the third to a vast sheltered outdoor lounge. There's room in the outdoor lounge for numerous guests around the tables, in the Provençal summer tradition of long convivial evenings sheltered from the legendary mistral wind. On the first floor are three bedrooms. The master bedroom is independent, accessed by the stone staircase. Access from the terrace behind the Mas has been created, giving the bedroom a direct connection to the gardens. The huge room boasts a king-size bed, an office corner, a walk-in wardrobe and a bathroom with bath and shower. From the window you can see across the courtyard, nettle tree and tower, to the plain beyond.

Two secondary bedrooms above the living room share a huge landing reached by a spiral staircase. As if lifted up by the hand of Zeus, one can walk out onto a broad terrace facing the scrub-covered hill. Each room has a king-size bed and its own bathroom with Italian shower and WC.

The Tower

The Tower, a former post-house, was probably built in the late 15th century. For the occupants, it's an independent part of the estate with an atypical charm. Its entrance beside the driveway makes it completely independent. Its interior design with stone walls throughout gives the amusing impression of living in another age – but the omnipresent comfort is a firm reminder that we're in the 21st century. The ground floor consists of a living room and kitchen, from a terrace decked with rosemary and rose bushes, you enter the Tower's kitchen. From there, four steps down lead to the cozy and comfortable living room with its old fireplace. Life just feels good here. The upper floors have the two bedrooms. The tower's stone spiral staircase leads to two rooms, one on each upper floor. It's all there, mullioned windows with interior shutters, old wooden doors, carefully preserved floors. The top bedroom has a truly wonderful view, you feel like you rule the world! Each room has modern comfort, a king-size bed, a bathroom with Italian shower and WC.

This region has plenty to offer, apart from the charming picturesque village of Fontvielle, under 5 kilometers away, with its shops and cafes and restaurants. One can venture a little further to places such as the lively village of St Rémy, just 17 kilometers away. It is a charming classical little town, capital of the Alpilles with all the amenities, boulangeries, little boutiques, quaint pavement cafes and excellent restaurants. Following its winding cobbled lanes you will discover the small squares, historic buildings, churches and museums and on Wednesday the colorful weekly market will offer the opportunity to discover local products and handicrafts which is a must see.

A little further north of St Rémy is the magnificent walled city of Avignon, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which boasts the gothic “Palace of the Popes”, a wonder not to be missed. Awe-inspiring Roman buildings and ruins are scattered everywhere in this Ancient Roman Province, the impressive triple-tiered aqueduct of the Pont du Gard and the massive arena in Arles are certainly worth a visit. Further southwest, under an hour’s drive, is the Camargue National Park, a fascinating wetland known for its pink flamingos, fighting bulls and wild horses. Finally the Mediterranean sea, the sandy beaches at Ste-Maries-de-la-Mer are about an hour by car.